UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi reveals that Iran could resume enriched uranium production “in a matter of months,” despite extensive damage from recent US and Israeli strikes.
Despite a recent bombing campaign by Israel and subsequent strikes by the United States targeting its nuclear facilities, Iran could resume enriched uranium production “in a matter of months,” according to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Speaking to CBS News, with a transcript released Saturday and the interview to air in full on Sunday, Grossi stated that while some Iranian nuclear facilities suffered damage, “some is still standing.”
He elaborated, “They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that.”
Israel initiated a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, asserting its objective was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The United States subsequently joined the offensive, striking three key facilities involved in Tehran’s atomic program.
A significant concern for the international community is the status of Iran’s estimated 408.6kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium. This material, enriched to 60 percent, surpasses civilian usage levels and, if further refined, could theoretically be sufficient for more than nine nuclear bombs.
Grossi admitted to CBS, “We don’t know where this material could be.” He added, “So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved. So there has to be at some point a clarification.”
Adding to the opacity, Iranian lawmakers have voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, and Tehran has rejected Grossi’s request for a visit to the damaged sites, particularly Fordow, the primary uranium enrichment facility.
Grossi stressed the necessity for verification, stating, “We need to be in a position to ascertain, to confirm what is there, and where is it and what happened.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday admitted to “serious” damage inflicted upon Iran’s nuclear sites during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
“A detailed assessment of the damage is being carried out by experts from the Atomic Energy Organization (of Iran),” Araghchi was quoted as having told state television.
He elaborated on the implications of the destruction, stating, “Now, the discussion of demanding damages and the necessity of providing them has been placed as one of the important issues on the country’s diplomatic agenda.”
Araghchi emphasized the severity of the situation, adding, “These damages are serious, and expert studies and political decision-making are underway at the same time.”
The Iranian minister’s remarks appear to corroborate earlier statements from US President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly stated that US airstrikes, conducted in support of ally Israel against Iranian nuclear facilities, had “obliterated” the sites.
